1. Field of Invention
The present invention is generally related to reducing aerodynamic drag on a locomotive.
2. Description of Related Art
Using one or more locomotives in a train to move railroad freight or passenger cars is well known. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a series 104 of stacked intermodal containers may be provided on stack cars 113 and pulled by one or more locomotives 102 along a track 103 to form a train used for transporting goods on land. Though transporting goods in containers, such as intermodal containers in a double stack, assists in lowering rail haul costs, it would be beneficial to further reduce such costs associated with rail transportation. It would also be useful to reduce costs associated with freight or passenger trains. For example, the expenses associated with operating a fuel (e.g., diesel) powered locomotive may significantly increase based on rising fuel prices. Additionally, exhaust emissions of diesel fuel may cause damage and be harmful to the environment.
To decrease such costs and disadvantages, it is advantageous to provide aerodynamic enhancements to the train. However, contemporary North American diesel freight locomotives are designed and manufactured with little to no consideration for aerodynamic drag reduction. Engineering designs of locomotive body structures are typically designed for crashworthiness (of the front nose and operator cab) and strength (supporting the onboard machinery, handling tractive and braking forces, etc.). Typically, locomotives are manufactured by companies such as Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. (“EMD”) and General Electric (“GE”) to meet standardized designs, with only minor changes in body details and appurtenances possible, if specified by the locomotive customer as a purchase requirement. That is, including special aerodynamic enhancements is generally impractical in the locomotive manufacturing environment, as both locomotive builders manufacture the basic body parts to standardized semi-mass-produced designs, shapes, materials, etc. To manufacture contemporary freight locomotives with aerodynamic enhancements could entail expensive re-engineering, add time and complexity to manufacturing processes, and increase locomotive as-delivered cost. As such, building contemporary road freight locomotives in North America with aerodynamic enhancements may not be likely to occur in the near future.
One attempt by a locomotive manufacturer to improve the front-end aerodynamics of a contemporary North American freight diesel locomotive was the building, by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors (today known as EMD), in 1980 of three (3) 3800 horsepower 4-motor GP60 sales demonstrator locomotives, which appear to incorporate certain “rounded corners” on the front nose and operator cab front face. However, as noted above, locomotive builders have increasingly, over the past 3 decades, appeared to migrate toward a more boxey locomotive body shape in the interest of reducing manufacturing time, expense, and difficulty.
Thus, systems and methods for improving aerodynamic drag on pre-existing, standardized locomotives is desirable.